[DAVES]

Originally Posted by Pedrocarrasco01@yahoo.com

.
I would use the Ocala Health Emergency Room located on 441 in front of Del Webb Spruce Creek Country Club, would not use the Villages Hospital on 441, great care used couple of times very happy, had a skin cancer that my dermatologist was concerned with, she send me to Shands in Gainesville, great experience, they got all of it, tremendously happy, one thing that I found was Shands owns the Villages Hospital, I needed to take a Covid Test 2 days before surgery, since both are the same health care entity, I wanted to take the test here since I did not wanted to drive the 50 plus miles to Gainesville, I called Shands and was told “we don’t trust any testing unless is done here” so I drove and got the test then 2 days later had the procedure. When a sister company does not trust testing from another sister testing site, that is to me concerning and a good reason not to use it.
No I won’t use it unless extreme emergency.

Medical care translates to money. The Villages most everyone is on medicare, read that as minimal money for equipment and staff. We don't trust others tests. If, we do the test we make money. If, they do the test-they make money.

On the other side of medical care, imagine all your customers are sick and it is day after day. Perhaps, the reason why when you see a doctor they seem not to care. They simply cannot function and emotionally bond with patients.

[Villages Kahuna]

Originally Posted by ScottS

I recently had the misfortune of having to use the Villages ER. Absolute worst experience of my life….

I had hoped that after UF Health bought the hospital that it would improve. The last time I looked TVRH was still rated in the lowest quality of care class in the Medicare rating system, the worst hospital within 50-60 miles of The Villages.

I had a well-known local primary care physician tell me, “…if you wake up and find yourself in The Villages Regional Hospital, call a cab!”

[Kgcetm]

I'm sorry you had this experience. You should not have.

The Villages Healthcare System (Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, et al) is without question the worst system I've experienced. I will not go there again unless blood is flowing and I can't make it to Ocala or Tavares. The quality of the support personnel is appalling.
The know little and do even less. They seem to get paid for doing a job that is a major inconvenience to them.

I've had doctors make medication decisions without consulting the admitting physician. I've had doctors I don't know, didn't ask for and didn't need examine and prescribe medications for me. And finally, we have had tests (they love their $1400 MRI) performed that we specifically directed them not to perform.

The Villages Healthcare System is a disgrace to the community in which we live and should be a consideration to those who might be thinking of living here who have acute medical issues.

The acquisition by the University of Florida is a great step in the right direction. That said, it's the people who make the decisions regarding our treatment and our health. It will take at least 10 years for UF Health to restaff our Hospitals with more competent staffing. I know there will be those who respond by saying what a wonderful experience they had at the Villages Hospital. Frankly, we should all have that experience and great many of us do not.

I would not go there unless I was going to be DOA.

[Singerlady]

Originally Posted by ScottS

I recently had the misfortune of having to use the Villages ER. Absolute worst experience of my life. We arrived at apx 5:15 pm. We were treated extremely rudely by the elderly gentleman registering patients. We first had to ask if that was the line, as there really was no formal line. His tone and customer service were appalling. And yes he was a paid employee and not a volunteer. We then were directed to the billing person, who was also untrained and very rude. She asked for my insurance information. I handed her the workman’s comp form which had all the info needed. She handed it back and said she needed my insurance card. After pointing out this was a workman’s comp claim and this was not going on my personal insurance, she snatched the papers back out of my hand and complained that she did not know how to file a workman’s comp claim. My wife quickly took me to a seat as she could tell I was about to snap. So 2 hours later we are taken back to get an X-ray on my injured right knee. After completing the X-rays we are taken back to the waiting room. After 3 more hours apx 11:00, the ER doctor makes an appearance, he starts sitting with the 8 or 9 people in the waiting room and discussing all of their medical issues right there in the waiting room amongst everyone there. They use to have this thing called Hipaa, apparently that doesn’t exist here in the Villages. By midnight it was finally my turn to have my medical issues discussed aloud in front of everyone. He diagnosed me with a bad knee sprain, ordered me some pain killers, a knee brace and crutches. At 1:30 my wife was tired of waiting and went to check on the above items. 3 times I was asked my height. 3 times they were told 5’9”. They brought out crutches and a knee brace that the lowest adjustment was for someone 6’2”. At 2 am I stormed out the front door with nothing that fit, and no pain meds as all the pharmacy’s are closed and they don’t give medications out at that ER. What a joke! Turns out, after going to a real doctor the next day, that I had a completely torn in half ACL. NOT A BAD SPRAIN! If anyone knows of a good lawyer I would love their name, as hipaa laws were broken, the misdiagnosis without out even doing an MRI was reckless. I even asked him why they weren’t doing an MRI, to which he responded we don’t do those here. What??? Are you kidding me? So after being there for about nine hours, we were worse off than when we got there, and the sad part is they will still get paid.

Sorry to hear. I was there 3 years ago for a new heart condition. Waited 5 hours! They weren’t equipped to handle the situation then and it sounds like nothing has changed. Sad and scary!

[diva1]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

Let me help you understand.

The Doctor was worn out because for the last 18 hours he was listening to one after another cranky patients complain about their hangnail or their headache or their sore throat or the scratch on their arm. Yeah, I'm sure there was the occasional real need but much of the Village ER traffic is old people who aren't happy unless they are miserable.

Once you got past that, the knuckleheads are gone and you are left with folks that needed to be admitted with real problems.

It's a damn shame what the health care workers and volunteers put up with to try and appease the entitled.

You really sound like a jerk. So sick of hearing about 'entitled'. Find a new word because that one is overworked. If the doctor has been there 18 hours that is poor management. And poor care. Who wants to spend 10 hours in an emergency room? If you do that is not emergency, time sensitive, care. And who wants to spend 10 hours there for, what did you say, a hangnail or a headache or sore throat? No one! I have been to that emergency room a few times in my 25 years living in The Villages. It is nothing to be proud of.

[rsgolfer]

My experiences at TV Hospital range from rude, inconsiderate and unprofessional service to near death. This ER has been very bad for many years and no one has been able to fix it. There just are not any excuses to justify performance this poor over such a long period. My recommendation is the Advent Hospital.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Nucky

In November I spent 7 1/2 hours in the ER at the veterinarian. Sorry I meant the Villages ER. At that point, people were just doing their own thing. No masks, masks worn incorrectly, and normally I would have said something but I was too lumped up to argue with anyone.
It was really terrible.

The Doctor was a worn-out, beat-up clown. Not blaming him. Blaming management. I got no real assistance until I passed through the ER experience about a total of 20 hours after I arrived. This is the bad part.

Once I got to the room and for the next five days, I got the best care I ever received in any hospital anywhere. Everyone was exceptional.

I only had one small problem. While operating I absorbed a very bad infection. The operation was smooth other than the infection. I'm still battling with it. Would I go back? Depends on what the issue was at the time I needed help.

No lawyer. Not yet.

I have no chip on my shoulder but regret not standing up for myself like I normally would have with the masks.

I'm sorry about that, Nucky. I hope you get rid of the infection soon. Am I correct in remembering that infection rate is one of the reasons TVRH only got a 1 rating? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Kgcetm

I'm sorry you had this experience. You should not have.

The Villages Healthcare System (Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, et al) is without question the worst system I've experienced. I will not go there again unless blood is flowing and I can't make it to Ocala or Tavares. The quality of the support personnel is appalling.
The know little and do even less. They seem to get paid for doing a job that is a major inconvenience to them.

I've had doctors make medication decisions without consulting the admitting physician. I've had doctors I don't know, didn't ask for and didn't need examine and prescribe medications for me. And finally, we have had tests (they love their $1400 MRI) performed that we specifically directed them not to perform.

The Villages Healthcare System is a disgrace to the community in which we live and should be a consideration to those who might be thinking of living here who have acute medical issues.

The acquisition by the University of Florida is a great step in the right direction. That said, it's the people who make the decisions regarding our treatment and our health. It will take at least 10 years for UF Health to restaff our Hospitals with more competent staffing. I know there will be those who respond by saying what a wonderful experience they had at the Villages Hospital. Frankly, we should all have that experience and great many of us do not.

I would not go there unless I was going to be DOA.

There is no question in my mind that the ER is the weakest link at TVRH, but your assessment is, well, pretty harsh. I've been there with my late wife, and the ER needs quite a bit of improvement. It wouldn't take 10 years, I'd be willing to bet a few friends of mine and I could straighten it out in 4 months, IF we were given dictatorial powers.

I found your 3rd paragraph quite interesting:

"I've had doctors make medication decisions without consulting the admitting physician."

Why would a board certified ER physician "consult" with the "admitting" physician on anything? You are in the ER, under his/her care, he/she is responsible and they are perfectly capable of making medical and medication decisions. The time for consultation/communication is after the patient has been stabilized/initially treated and a decision has been made to admit the patient.

" I've had doctors I don't know"

That's good, because the only patients that know every ER physician are either hypochondriacs or crackpots

"didn't ask for"

Actually, YOU DID ask for them when you showed up in their ER

"and didn't need examine and prescribe medications for me."

If you didn't need them, why were you there? And if they did not examine and treat you, what did you expect them to do? Compliment your attire?

"And finally, we have had tests performed that we specifically directed them not to perform."

Great, another patient who has more expertise than the treating physician and knows what "tests" he does and does not need. Another charter member of the American Association of Amateur Physicians.

[asiebel]

Been coming here since 2006 and it has not changed! Try the Urgent Care on 466A and The Leesburg Hospital.

[lennythenet]

I’m sorry but I just have to reply. Often times you might find someone who is rude or having a bad day, but it sounds like from your email that NO ONE did anything right that evening. The receptionist, the billing clerk, the doctor, the nursing assistant. You might want to reflect the on what the common demoninator was in this experience.

[kanoa1kale2]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Next time, OP, don't go to the emergency room for a non-emergency situation. You should've gone to Urgent Care.

How is a layman to define what is an emergency and what is not? Btw, most Urgent Care centers around here close between 5 and 7pm. There are a number of very competent ER facilities very close by.

[Villagesgal]

Unless bleeding to death, stroke or heart attack do not go to Villages hospital ER. Doctors in ER are contract doctors so are there only 1 day a week, can't find fulltime work and don't care because they will never see you again. Always have an ambulance bring you in or it could be hours till you are seen. We actually saw an elderly gentleman die in his chair while waiting. He had had a heart attack according to his son who was there with him and they had been waiting over 7 hours. We saw his son go up and beg for care for his father many times over the 6 hours we sat there. My husband was finally admitted after waiting over 7 hours. When we finally got to the back we were told to never drive in ourselves but to take an ambulance. Once in a real room, care was excellent, but their ER protocol is sloppy, no triaging of patients. It doesn't matter how many people show up that don't really need to be there, simple triaging of patients would quickly help them figure out who needs immediate care and who doesn't. It's a real shame that they can't get their ER situation improved.

[christine J Toft]

Originally Posted by ScottS

I recently had the misfortune of having to use the Villages ER. Absolute worst experience of my life. We arrived at apx 5:15 pm. We were treated extremely rudely by the elderly gentleman registering patients. We first had to ask if that was the line, as there really was no formal line. His tone and customer service were appalling. And yes he was a paid employee and not a volunteer. We then were directed to the billing person, who was also untrained and very rude. She asked for my insurance information. I handed her the workman’s comp form which had all the info needed. She handed it back and said she needed my insurance card. After pointing out this was a workman’s comp claim and this was not going on my personal insurance, she snatched the papers back out of my hand and complained that she did not know how to file a workman’s comp claim. My wife quickly took me to a seat as she could tell I was about to snap. So 2 hours later we are taken back to get an X-ray on my injured right knee. After completing the X-rays we are taken back to the waiting room. After 3 more hours apx 11:00, the ER doctor makes an appearance, he starts sitting with the 8 or 9 people in the waiting room and discussing all of their medical issues right there in the waiting room amongst everyone there. They use to have this thing called Hipaa, apparently that doesn’t exist here in the Villages. By midnight it was finally my turn to have my medical issues discussed aloud in front of everyone. He diagnosed me with a bad knee sprain, ordered me some pain killers, a knee brace and crutches. At 1:30 my wife was tired of waiting and went to check on the above items. 3 times I was asked my height. 3 times they were told 5’9”. They brought out crutches and a knee brace that the lowest adjustment was for someone 6’2”. At 2 am I stormed out the front door with nothing that fit, and no pain meds as all the pharmacy’s are closed and they don’t give medications out at that ER. What a joke! Turns out, after going to a real doctor the next day, that I had a completely torn in half ACL. NOT A BAD SPRAIN! If anyone knows of a good lawyer I would love their name, as hipaa laws were broken, the misdiagnosis without out even doing an MRI was reckless. I even asked him why they weren’t doing an MRI, to which he responded we don’t do those here. What??? Are you kidding me? So after being there for about nine hours, we were worse off than when we got there, and the sad part is they will still get paid.

I had a similar experience with my then 91 year old mother. They completely misdiagnosed her injuries after a fall. Had her moved to Ocala where they treated her properly. Go to Leesburg or Ocala if possible. It's a sad situation to have such inept people in a hospital "bragged" about.

[LuvtheVillages]

Originally Posted by villagetinker View Post
For future reference, there is a stand alone fully staffed ER on 466a just West of Buena Vista, between myself, my wife and a close friend this has been used 4 times all with excellent service and excellent results. This will always be my first choice if I need after hours care.

Originally Posted by bp243

Plus, is it correct that if you use that ER and need to go to a hospital that it’s the one in Ocala?

Yes, that's true. They will ambulance you to their hospital in Ocala, and that's a very GOOD thing. Their care is excellent. They are well rated. Well worth the little bit of a drive. In my friend's case, she went to Marion West hospital, which is just west of the freeway. Easy drive.

[scottomjs]

Sounds A typical avoid the emergency room if you can particularly if you’re not bleeding anywhere on the body